The Sound of Magic

The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, The Sound of Magic, February 23–24, 2006, 18 Wooster Street

The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, The Sound of Magic, February 23–24, 2006, 18 Wooster Street

The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, The Sound of Magic, February 23–24, 2006, 18 Wooster Street

The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, The Sound of Magic, February 23–24, 2006, 18 Wooster Street

The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, The Sound of Magic, February 23–24, 2006, 18 Wooster Street

The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, The Sound of Magic, February 23–24, 2006, 18 Wooster Street

The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, The Sound of Magic, February 23–24, 2006, 18 Wooster Street

The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, The Sound of Magic, February 23–24, 2006, 18 Wooster Street

The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, The Sound of Magic, February 23–24, 2006, 18 Wooster Street

The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, The Sound of Magic, February 23–24, 2006, 18 Wooster Street

The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black The Sound of Magic

February 23–24, 2006

18 Wooster Street

Deitch Projects is pleased to present the legendary Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black with their new show, The Sound of Magic. Filled with classic rock, punk energy, and the group’s signature and memorable visual language, The Sound of Magic will be performed in tandem with the release of the new limited-edition vinyl picture LP of the same name. It promises to be one of the group’s most ambitious works to date.

The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black is the brainchild of artist and performer Kembra Pfahler, whose do-it-yourself ideals have shaped both the band’s sound and its iconic visual style, and from whose solo performance work and Super 8 films the group organically formed. The band was initially conceived in an effort to create a sound track for these early performances, in a manner befitting their highly theatrical nature.

One part high-fashion glamour, one part cult horror-film archetypes, this group has etched itself deeply into the New York underground, all the while continuing to follow Pfahler’s rules of anti-naturalism and “availablism” to push them forward. Using only what is at hand, the group is able to create complex and compelling performances filled with low-tech props and minimalist costumes. The brightly painted girls of Karen Black complete the equation, walking into the performance with confidence in their stiletto boots, high-contrast black-and-white costumes, blackened teeth, and two-foot-tall fright wigs, aware that they are the most visually stunning and alarming creatures present.

Come see the glamour, come see the horror. Stilettos are naturally encouraged.